It was an historic day in the history of the Mt Mawson Ski Field at Mt Field National Park yesterday, when the Premier of Tasmania, The Honourable Will Hodgman MHA formally declared open the new Mt Mawson Day Shelter.
It was a stunning day on the mountain with clear blue skies, little wind, and small pockets of snow lying around following the cold weather earlier in the week – perfect for the big crowd of people who attended the official opening.

The Premier was joined by a number of senior officials from the Department of Parks and Wildlife who have been actively involved in the project, including Perry Foster, Jason Jacobi, Andrew Roberts, Ashley Rushton, Brendan Moodie, and Trevor Norris. Vos Constructions and Damian Rogers from the architects were present, as well as Peter Mowbray from the Australian Ski Patrol Association who had flown from interstate especially for the event. It was also great to see so many of our volunteers present, including representatives from the STSA Ski Clubs, the Mt Mawson Ski Patrol and the Friends of Mt Field.
Rachael and Greg Powers from Waterfalls Cafe were present, with Rachael and their team providing a great lunch to launch the new Day Shelter in style!

A highlight of the event was the presentation by the Premier of Long and Outstanding Service Certificates to Hubert Sigrist, Andrew Davey, Craig Larsson, Liz Koolhof, Peter Franklin and Greg Kidd. It was particularly pleasing to have Hubert present as he has assisted at the Mt Mawson Ski Field since 1951, including being a volunteer ranger in the years before Ski Patrol was established, and also running the tows midweek for STSA for many years.

The Mt Mawson Ski Field is a unique and historic asset for the people of Tasmania and visitors alike, located as it is in a beautiful National Park, and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The new Mt Mawson Day Shelter and Ski Patrol facilities are an outstanding contribution to the infrastructure for this important area, and augur well for the future success of the Mt Field National Park. The new Day Shelter provides a spectacular destination for visitors to the Park, and improves safety and amenity year round.

A big thank you to the State and Federal Governments who have supported the construction project, and to all the builders, architects, project managers and volunteers who have worked hard over the past five years to make the vision a reality. Well done!